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for strong digital readersFri, 24 May 2019 11:27:59 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=5.0.4The Best Books of the Momenthttps://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/the-best-books-of-the-moment/
https://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/the-best-books-of-the-moment/#respondFri, 10 May 2019 09:50:25 +0000https://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/?p=2774So many books, so little time… Who hasn’t heard about it before? We, the digital booksellers of 24symbols, have made it our mission to make sure will not miss those books that everybody is talking about. However, this is more than just a bestseller list...

]]>So many books, so little time… Who hasn’t heard about it before? We, the digital booksellers of 24symbols, have made it our mission to make sure will not miss those books that everybody is talking about. However, this is more than just a bestseller list. We also want to point out hidden gems that have caught our special attention.

Every day we receive thousands of new books and we carefully select the ones that we believe will interest you most. Our recipe? A great book should give food for thought, it should move, educate and fascinate the reader. A book is a door to another world, and it is while reading how we discover different perspectives and widen our horizon. A book can change a person but be no fool, because just as Edmund Wilson said, “no two persons ever read the same book.” That is another beauty of books. There is always room for interpretation, imagination and discussion. That is why we invite you to comment the books you read, recommend them to your friends and discuss them with fellow digital readers on 24symbols.

Whether you like thrillers, romance, contemporary novels or any other genre, there is always time for a good book! Have a look at our list of the best books of the moment and find your next read. We made sure to include something for everyone’s taste:

Grace after Henry

A deeply emotional story about grief and moving on after the
loss of a loved one. Grace loses her boyfriend Harry in a tragic accident and
is struggling to cope with this terrible blow of fate. Her pain is portrayed
with such honesty that it is at times hard to keep reading but at the same time
Eithne Shortall writes with such compassion and tactfulness that one cannot let
go of the book. Even though grief and sorrow play a strong part in the book,
you are left with a positive, life-affirming feeling when finishing.

Deadpool – Paws

A comic turned into a novel? Stefan Petrucha has done a
wonderful job! Deadpool is the narrator of his own story and is aware that he
is in a book, which allows him to interact with the reader and creates a whole
different reading experience. Plus, he has a lot of voices in his head that are
fighting to be heard present us with hilarious dialogues. Deadpool’s humor is
not for everyone but if you like crazy sarcasm and are a fan of the Marvel
universe, you will definitively enjoy this book.

The Man They Wanted Me to Be

A thorough analysis of toxic masculinity throughout history and its impacts on our society spiked with the author’s personal experiences of growing up in a typical white male dominated environment in Indiana. This allows the reader to connect with Jared Sexton and most likely recognize the one or other situation even if they are not white, male or Christian. The result is an eye-opening book about the consequences of hardship, suppression of feelings and holding on to power that applies to much more than just white men in America.

The Mueller Report

Everybody is talking about the Mueller Report and everybody has their own interpretation. This is why the best thing you can do is to have a look at this omnipresent report yourself. Nobody expects you to read the whole document (but nobody will keep you from doing so either), the beauty of reading the paper online is that you can jump easily from one chapter to another, highlighting and commenting the parts that are most important for you. Whether you want to know more about the role of Paul Manafort, Jared Kushner’s meeting with Sergey Gorkov or the use of Wikileaks, check the facts yourself and start reading the Mueller Report:

Wakenhyrst

Even if you do not typically read thrillers, this is a masterpiece cannot miss. Michelle Paver is best known for her children’s fantasy series Chronicles of Ancient Darkness but her ghost stories for adults are just as powerful. With Wakenhyrst she has now written a true Gothic thriller which will keep you up all night. Rather than “in-your-face-horror” she masters the art of suspense. From the very first pages we know that there was a murder and who the murderer is. But the question beneath the cruel crime is why did it happen? Was it sheer madness or do the demons that the murderer painted with such obsession really exist?

The Vegetable Museum

Families are complicated but even the most complicated relations can be softened by common interest, in this case: gardening. A warmhearted novel about family, community and continuity in uncertain times. Mulder is known for her non-fiction works and her horticultural expertise comes in handy in THE VEGETABLE MUSEUM. As the title already suggests, there is much more to gardening than growing vegetables and flowers and one cannot help but develop a fondness for the seed collection that is the hidden star of the story.

The Goose Fritz

Lebedev’s latest novel has been received with much enthusiasm by literary critics and readers alike. The family saga spans over two centuries and explores the impact of our ancestors’ decisions on our lives. The historian Kirill is part of the German minority living in Russia and takes it upon himself to uncover his family’s history. Having listened to his grandmother’s stories as a child, he decides to travel to Germany on a quest for his ancestors. As he visits countless cemeteries and archives, he takes the reader through the rich but troublesome relationship of Russia and Germany – Could it be that two of his ancestors encountered each other in the battlefield?

Things That Fall from the Sky

Discover one of Finland’s best-loved writers and explore the unexpected and inexplicable nature of reality. Selja Ahava shows in her keenly awaited novel “Things That Fall From The Sky” how one quirk of fate can send life spiralling in the most unexpected direction… Beautifully written, Selja knows how to engage the reader with her story that is brutally honest and fabulous at the same time. Finally available in English:

A Date with Death

If you love a fast-paced, intriguing crime story, this is the perfect book for you. Delve into the dark side of online dating with Detective Chief Inspector Eve Clay who needs to outsmart a serial killer by posing as his next prey on a dating site. A cat and mouse tale that is more that just a quick read, “A Date with Death” has a twisted plot and will keep you thinking about false promises and false identities for a long time after you read the last page.

Please Don’t Eat the Daisies

What if you escape from the chaotic city jungle to the suburbs to seek peace and nature only in order to discover a whole new type of crazy instead? Jean Kerr’s hilarious observations about life in the suburbs have kept us laughing for weeks. Thanks to Open Road Media, the iconic New York Times Bestseller has been republished and we can confirm that it is still a highly topical novel that deserves another read if you haven’t had the pleasure yet.

Sparks of Phoenix

The Lebanese-Canadian poet and speaker forms part of a new phenomenon, the InstaPoets. She came to Canada as a sixteen-year-old and struggled with adapting to her new home. This feeling of being different and especially the abuse she suffered is a recurrent theme in her work. Her latest collection of poetry concentrates on the power of love to heal and sends a message of self-empowerment to her readers. Discover more about Najwa and her fellow InstaPoets!

Enclave

Discover an enthralling cross-genre novel that blends science fiction, end time and coming of age. 21 year old Caleb might be the one who can change the dystopian world he lives in into something more hopeful. Locke intertwines several stories, so make sure to pay close attention when reading the novel. If you do, you will find it to be a very original story. Interesting fact: Thomas Locke is a pseudonym for Davis Bunn.

Cabañuelas

A subtle novel about cultural identity and traditions, intertwined with a beautiful love story. Nena’s research about the Spanish tradition of her hometown Laredo, Texas, takes her to Madrid and turns into an identity quest. Once in Spain she not only starts understanding much more about herself but also falls in love. In the end she will have to decide where she can be her true self and what it means to be at home.

]]>https://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/the-best-books-of-the-moment/feed/0InstaPoets are revolutionizing the genrehttps://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/instapoets-poetry-digital-age/
https://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/instapoets-poetry-digital-age/#commentsWed, 13 Feb 2019 21:28:16 +0000https://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/?p=2329Read the world's most famous InstaPoets on 24symbols. Meet Rupi Kaur, Lang Leav, r.h Sin and their fellow poets and discover a world of sharp and thoughtful poetry that will blow your mind. The genre is alive and well thanks to this new generation.

Meet the InstaPoets, young poets from all over the world who share their work on social networks like Instagram or Twitter.

At 24symbols we are passionate about literature and technology. We believe that the digital era is helping us to become better readers because it allows us to read wherever we are. In the same way we are excited about the phenomenon of InstaPoets who have risen to true stardom during the past years. In 2018, five of our 15 most read books were poetry collections. The young poets prove that poetry is alive and well and have opened the doors for a new and large audience.

In their public quest for identity, expressed in short and direct poems, the InstaPoets attract millions of followers on their Instagram feeds. Their work is often melancholic, contemplating heartache and love but also hopeful and empowering. Sometimes deep, sometimes catchy, it is easy to identify with the brief pieces and the possibility to easily like and share the poems helps to grow their audience in ways that are unthinkable in the printing world. But don’t be fooled: by now, they are rocking digital and actual bookshelves alike. Many InstaPoets have compiled their work in printed books and ebooks and have become #1 New York Times Best Sellers.

Rupi Kaur

Named by the Rolling Stones Magazine as Queen of the InstaPoets, Rupi Kaur is much more than that: Not only a poet and writer but also an illustrator and performer. Born in Punjab, India and raised in Canada, her first collection of poems, prose and illustrations MILK AND HONEY was published in 2014, was on the New York Times Best Sellers list for 77 weeks and has been translated into 25 languages! Both, “Milk and Honey” and her second book THE SUN AND HER FLOWERS, are available on 24symbols.

Lang Leav

On the other side of the world we meet Lang Leav who was born in Thailand, raised in Australia and is now living in New Zealand with her partner and fellow poet Michael Foudet. Just as Rupi Kaur she is not only a poet but also a novelist (her novel SAD GIRLS was an international bestseller) and an artist who has exhibited her work in Australia and the United States. She has published multiple poetry collections which cover the themes of love, loss and female empowerment. Her latest book LOVE LOOKS PRETTY ON YOU has just been released.

r.h. Sin

r.h. Sin is the pen name for poet and New York Times best-selling author Reuben Holmes. Sin is a tribute to the namesake Mesopotamian god of the moon because he likes to write late at night. He has made it his goal to write 7,222 words each day which accounts for his impressive amount of published books and his continuously growing Instagram feed. Interesting fact: Instagram has not only fueled his writing career but also his personal life. In 2014 he was contacted via direct message by fellow poet Samantha King, they instantly fell in love and are now married and live together in New York.

Check out r.h. Sin on 24symbols, including his recently released book EMPTY BOTTLES FULL OF STORIES, written together with Robert M. Drake.

Courtney Peppernell

Her first volume of PILLOW THOUGHTS inspired this article. The poetry collection was an international bestseller and our most read book in 2018. The Australian poet and novelist explores heartache, love and raw emotions in her work. As her second volume of Pillow Thoughts – Healing the Heart implies, writing is a healing process for Courtney Peppernell.

Najwa Zebian

The Lebanese-Canadian poet and speaker wants to change the world, hers is a message of self-empowerment and love. This is especially important for her as she came to Canada as a sixteen-year-old and struggled with adapting to her new home. For Najwa Zebian, home is where your heart is and she encourages everyone to find that place within themselves.

Amanda Lovelace

Amanda Lovelace is a two-time winner of the goodreads choice award for best poetry, USA Today and Publishers Weekly Best Seller. Her witty poems read like adult fairy tales, a true delight for anyone who enjoys myths and romance mixed with painful realism. In TO MAKE MONSTERS OUT OF GIRLS she explores the memory of being in an abusive relationship.

Komal Kapoor

Compared to the other InstaPoets presented in this article, the Indian-American poet Komal Kapoor is fairly new to the game and has just published her first poetry collection UNFOLLOWING YOU: A modern love story told in poems, notes and chat conversations that amount to a brilliant observation of romance in digital age.

Michael Faudet

Bestselling author Michael Faudet engages in erotic and thought-provoking writing. His much-anticipated collection of poetry and prose WINTER OF SUMMERS explores the fine line between love and loss, the fragility of relationships, self-empowerment and social commentary. He lives in New Zealand with his partner and fellow poet Lang Leav.

Samantha King Holmes

Samantha King Holmes is the author of the poetry collection BORN TO LOVE, CURSED TO FEEL, one of our most read books in 2017. Her work discusses love in all its forms, good and bad, empowering and self-destructive. She has a wonderful gift of observation and her poems go straight to the heart. She is married to fellow instapoet r.h. Sin.

]]>https://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/instapoets-poetry-digital-age/feed/1The Top 24 books of 2018https://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/the-top-24-books-of-2018/
https://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/the-top-24-books-of-2018/#commentsSat, 29 Dec 2018 12:03:30 +0000https://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/?p=2315The Top 24 books of 2018 on 24symbols – chosen by our readers. It is time again, the year comes to an end and we…

It is time again, the year comes to an end and we wonder how fast time passes … What happened in 2018?What has moved, inspired and motivated us the most?Which books have accompanied us through this past year? Find out which were the Top 24 books of 2018 on 24symbols!

We, the digital booksellers of 24symbols, have recommended genres, authors and specific titles throughout the whole year. We have continuously updated our digital bookshelves with the latest releases of interest, have created new bookshelves to cover all sort of themes and have published articles in our magazine to present different topics in detail. We love suggesting you what to read next, whether we talk about the latest arrivals in our bookshelves, classics that deserve to be read another time or hidden gems that we have just discovered: We always make sure to talk about books that you will enjoy reading. The idea to present you with books that make you awe, surprise you, move you or teach you, motivates us to choose every book we add to our bookshelves or that we distribute in our social networks with extra care.

But in the end it is you, the strong digital readers, who have the last word in what is top and what is not. This is why we have had a close look at the books you have read on 24symbols throughout the past year and want to share the result with you. Some of the books have already been in the Top 24 books of 2017, you just do not seem to get enough of them A surprise is the strong representation of young poets, we are very happy to see that poetry is on the rise again! Who would have thought that five poetry collections would make it in the Top 24 books of 2018? Congratulations!

We hope you enjoy remembering some of the books you might have read or seen in the movies yourself. Or, better still, discover your next book to read – many others have devoured these books in 2018:

]]>https://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/the-top-24-books-of-2018/feed/1About Cats and Poetshttps://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/cats-literature-quotes-books/
https://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/cats-literature-quotes-books/#commentsFri, 30 Nov 2018 12:23:43 +0000https://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/?p=2291Cat Quotes and Books – for all Catlovers What is it that a cat, wherever its velvety paws touch ground, evokes admiration from all bystanders?…

What is it that a cat, wherever its velvety paws touch ground, evokes admiration from all bystanders? These miniature tigers, arrogant and full of attitude… they drive us up the wall and still always raise a smile; they are calm, silent and pleasant companions. Is this why one simply cannot hold a grudge against them?

Cats and Poets go hand in hand, they admire each other but only the writers can voice the mutual admiration and immortalize it in their works. One of many literary examples is Catarina, from Edgar Allan Poe’s terrific story The Black Cat. Our digital booksellers from 24symbols have selected the best cat quotes and books from some of the greatest authors of all times.

For those of you who have a cat of their own, let us assure you that any resemblance with reality is pure coincidence If you’d like to suggest more books or quotes, feel free to do so in our comment section.

Being the booklovers that we are, we’re not going to leave you with quotes only (although the list could go on forever…). We selected 7 books, one for each cat life, that include modern and classic cat stories. Enjoy our compulsory reading list for all cat maniacs:

6. Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats

7. Warriors #1: Into the Wild

]]>https://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/cats-literature-quotes-books/feed/1Great Horror Books to Freak You Outhttps://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/great-horror-books-to-freak-out/
https://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/great-horror-books-to-freak-out/#respondWed, 31 Oct 2018 11:28:38 +0000https://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/?p=2275Halloween is a time for morbid emotions, hiding beneath horrific masks of terror, death and the like. For those who are looking for extra creepy…

]]>Halloween is a time for morbid emotions, hiding beneath horrific masks of terror, death and the like. For those who are looking for extra creepy inspiration for their costumes or, better still, for those who prefer to spend the night with monstrous companions from literature, a ghostly hand has helped us to create a first-rate selection of horror books. Ranging from all time horror classics to the latest arrivals from the literary (under-)world, these are must-read books for sleepless nights.

We invite you to enjoy the perverse pleasure of reading until your blood runs cold. Whether you’re searching for creatures of the underworld, disturbing situations, cursed mansions, deathly masqueraders or monstrous transformations, our digital librarians have the perfect Halloween read for you. Here’s our secret for the best books of terror: They shake us up and no matter how unsettling the story may be, finishing the book must become a matter of life or death.

Do you dare to read them?

The latest horror books on 24symbols

1. Red

A fairy tale retelling with a surprising twist. You think you know the story of Little Red Riding Hood? Not this one! Jessie McPherson has taken it upon herself to reveal the real story of the naïve girl and the big bad wolf. Surprise yourself with a new take on the Grimm Classic.

2. Riddance

(for our US American readers)

How dead is dead? Get ready to be freaked out by this supernatural gothic novel. Highly praised for Half Live, Shelley Jackson is setting a new tone with her second novel Riddance. The Sybil Joines Vocational School for Ghost Speakers & Hearing-Mouth Children is a sanctuary for children suffering from stuttering. However, at the school they learn that through their stutters, they are able to connect with the dead. Things get out of hand when the worlds of the dead and the living merge and a child goes missing.

3. Halloween Nightmare

A promising start to a new terror book series, Halloween Nightmare has kept us hiding beneath our blanket the whole time. The twins Mia and Tia go back to their home town for Halloween to put an end to an incident of the past that keeps haunting them. Little did they expect that by returning to the origin of their horrors, they are doing the exact opposite…

4. Welcome to Night Vale

(for our US American Readers)

The creators of the podcast Welcome to Night Vale have written this little jewel to widen the joy of their audience. Dive into a world where ghosts, angels and aliens are regular visitors in everyday life and enjoy the scary incidents that happen in this lonesome town. Just as the podcast, the novel stands out for it’s sinister and comic tone but it’s not just funny… if you live in a small town yourself, you might want to put an extra lock on your door before starting to read this novel.

Classic Horror Books you must have read

1. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

For many the headless horseman is an embodiment of Halloween as it combines tricks and horror. If you’ve watched the movie, let yourself be surprised by Washington Irving‘s original! Set in Sleepy Hollow, a small valley whose inhabitants believe in ghosts and the supernatural. When newly arrived Ichabod and local hero Brom Bones compete for the hand of 18-year-old Katrina, Brom uses the power of the town’s ghostly imagination to outpace his rival. Just as Arthur Conan Doyle said, where there is no imagination, there is no horror…

2. Dracula

When published in 1897, readers appreciated Dracula as a great adventure story. It was much later in the 20th century when Bram Stoker‘s masterpiece became the iconic novel that we take it for today. Harker, a you English lawyer, visits Count Dracula in Transylvania to wrap up a real estate deal. On his way, he’s being warned of the count and given garlic and crucifixes to defend himself against the alleged vampire. Harker disregards the warning and finds Count Dracula to be extremely polite and educated but realizes after a few days that he’s visit at the castle is no longer as voluntary as he thought it to be…

3. Frankenstein

What happens when experiments don’t go the way they were planned to go? There are plenty of examples in history and literature. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein surely narrates one of the most horrific outcomes a scientific experiment could have and serves as reminder that we are responsible for our actions. A reminder well needed with the technical possibilities we have nowadays…

Interesting fact: Did you know that Mary Shelley was only 18 when she started writing the novel?

4. The Masque of the Red Death

Edgar Allan Poe at his best: When a few rich noblemen (and ladies) hide in a castle and have a costume party in order to avoid a plague that is haunting the country, it only seems fair that death comes to haunt the party guests. Warning: Better don’t read this short story if you have a costume party coming up yourself…

]]>https://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/great-horror-books-to-freak-out/feed/0Utopia and Dystopia: an overview of the most popular bookshttps://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/utopia-and-dystopia-an-overview-of-the-most-popular-books-of-the-genre/
https://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/utopia-and-dystopia-an-overview-of-the-most-popular-books-of-the-genre/#commentsMon, 20 Aug 2018 07:44:08 +0000https://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/?p=2217Read these ebooks and many more online: Utopia and Dystopia What is utopia and why does it fascinate us? Utopian visions and concepts have been part…

What is utopia and why does it fascinate us?

Utopian visions and concepts have been part of the Western (and in a lesser known degree Eastern) literary tradition ever since we can remember. Be it Cockaigne, land of plenty in medieval myth or Atlantis, a fictional island and lost land no longer attainable; El Dorado, the mythical city of gold or other myths such as the Fountain of Youth and Shangri-la, the permanently happy land isolated from the world. Not to mention the eschatological visions of Judeo-Christian and Islamic tradition. It seems inherent to human nature to dream of a better life and to conceptualize these dreams in model societies, set either in a past dreamland or in the future.

There are a few crucial characteristics that utopian literature exhibits: At heart utopian literature is social commentary, social criticism of what is and suggestion of what could be. The narrator of the story is an outsider to the utopian society who happens to find a secluded community or is in the need to found his own new community based on modern political, social, economic, or ethical principles. By extension, the very nature of utopia invites us to question the assumptions of our own society in the quest for a better world.

Thomas More’s Utopia

The history of what we call „utopia“ though necessarily begins with Thomas More. When the Lord Chancellor to Henry VIII of England described an ideal society in his work Utopia (1516) he thus provided an archetype for a whole new genre of writing. He coined the word ‘utopia’ from the Greek ou-topos meaning ‘no place’ or ‘nowhere’. Published as a counterpart to Erasmus of Rotterdam’s In Praise of Folly (1509) his philosophical dialogue describes the inhabitants of the island state of Utopia.

There is no private property, extensive equality, education is free. On the other hand all 54 cities are the same, all families are the same size, all citizens wear the same uniform; all as young or old, women or men have their firm place in the rigid patriarchal hierarchy, nobody aspires to do something special, new or different. On the island state, as the book designs, there is also slavery, and virtue guardians who supervise the whole. More gave the islander’s life certain early Christian and primitive communist practice for which he would later be dubbed the “father of utopian socialism”. No question, 500 years ago Utopia described some attractive sides as opposed to the feudalism of the time. However, anyone who appreciates modern liberalism, market economy or personal choices can only recognize a gloomy picture of Gleichschaltung in a totalitarian island-state, although it is formally a republic.

This area of conflict and the sometimes thin line between utopia and dystopia –it’s cataclysmic opposite- brings us to the heart of the matter: How would a perfect world look like? Are other forms of society possible? How can literature think the future? How do we want to live? And, no less important: How don’t we? Literature does not accurately depict reality one-to-one, but always opens spaces of opportunity and tells what might be different. This applies especially to utopian and dystopian literature.

Classic utopia: pure philosophy

In classic utopia the tension between the ideal and the real can be felt allover. Many of the depicted worlds are set outside history in a golden age, before time began or in a mythical time governed by its own rules. Plato’s The Republic (c. 380 BC) may be the most important predecesor of Utopia. Italian Dominican philosopher Thomas Campanella imagined a perfect society in which religion and reason work in total harmony, in The City of the Sun (1602). Another wellknown example is Sir Francis Bacon’s New Atlantis (1624), in which the common good is sought through learning and justice, especially though scientific knowledge. It describes the accidental discovery of a fortified city state, Bensalem, located in the Pacific Ocean. Following the same pattern of the previous examples, all aspects of human life and society are strictly regulated by the state and social engineering and education are proposed as means to eradicating the evils inherent to human nature.

Enlightenment, subgenres and political ideals

Eighteenth-century utopias made use of Enlightenment discourses on progress, perfectibility, reason, sociability and reform. At the same time, the projection of utopian hopes and desires onto the New World continued. There was a notion of America as utopia par excellence and those seeking social change began to believe that they had right and reason on their side when they embarked heading west and converted the principles of progress and individualism into reality. It was the times of American Independence and the French Revolution.

Voltaire’s Candide (1759) stumbles upon a secluded and idyllic city in South America called El Dorado where everyone lives in harmony and equality. Daniel Defoe wrote Robinson Crusoe (1719) and Jonathan Swift wrote Gulliver’s Travels (1726). Both owed much to More’s Utopia – and both became far better known. Although “geographical or voyage utopia” of this period are akin to contemporary narratives of explorers, conquerors and merchants, they also projected archaic ideals of Paradise onto new worlds. Subgenres as the “Robinsonades” and feminist utopia evolve. The only known work of utopian fiction by a 17th Century woman, Margaret Cavendish’s The Blazing World (1666) is a fanciful depiction of a satirical, utopian kingdom in another world that is free of war, religious division and unfair sexual discrimination and is the only place where true happiness, contentment and self-fulfillment can be ensured.

Early science fiction: Utopia gone wrong

In the nineteenth century, the utopian tradition continued to prosper in the guise of utopian socialism, communitarianism and the cooperative movement. At a time of massive industrial growth, utopian novels stated a growing emphasis on human rights, equality and democracy and became an established medium to popularize utopian political and economic principles. While well-known for his adventure stories, such as Call of the Wild and White Fang, Jack London is also known for his early science fiction novels, most notably his 1906 dystopian novel, The Iron Heel (1907), portraying a socialist movement that overthrows the oligarchical elite. William Morris’ News from Nowhere (1890) also further develops socialist ideals. As opposed to it, and having experienced the reality of communist totalitarianism, other works state a clear warning against its philosophy as Yewgeny Zamyatin in We (1921), a disquieting novel set in a dystopian future police state. The optimistic view of the future met it’s end at the beginning of the twentieth century, especially when the terrifying deeds throughout the two World Wars were perceived.

At the same time, applied science had a direct relation to the imaginary technical transformation in literature. The famously prolific H.G. Well’s most notable works of science fiction that include an utopian setting are When the Sleeper Wakes (1899), The Invisible Man (1899), The War of the Worlds (1897) and A Modern Utopia (1905) and The Time Machine (1895). The latter develops the concept of euchronia (“no-time”, in analogy to utopia as “no-where” ), like Edward Bellamy’s Looking Backward (1888) in which the visitor to the utopia is going to a different time instead of a different place. In Well’s world, the time travel isn’t mysterious or supernatural; it’s a result of technology. However, the idea that technical development worsens the conditions of life is a central theme of the growing genre of dystopia.

The line between utopia, dystopia and science fiction is thin, as they are all closely and evidently connected by their interest in technological transformation. In an incredible anticipation of the cyberworld, E.M. Forster’s depicts a future of alienated individuals bound to destruction in her short story The Machine Stops (1909). On the other hand we owe the introduction of the word “robot” to Karel Capek’s play RUR (1921), in whose novel machines of flesh and blood can think for themselves and start a rebellion that leads to the destruction of the human race. Bulwer-Lytton’s The Coming Race (1871)is also a technologically supported Utopia. The protagonist finds a cast-away society of Vril, who live underneath the earth and have supernatural powers which eventually could enable them to exterminate humanity. Last but not least, Samuel Butler’s Erewhon (1872), an anagram for “nowhere” (that is to say, utopia) is best known for its extended meditation on the possibility that machines might one day attain consciousness and take over human beings.

A variety of authors touch on the boundaries of other genres, such as Anatole France with his satirical novel Penguin Island (1908) that bears clear utopian traits. The clash of social classes as in Thea von Harbou’s Metropolis (1925) was the basis for Fritz Lang’s acclaimed homonymous film. Charlotte Perkis’ Herland (1915) on the other hand describes an isolated society composed entirely of women fits in the tradition of early feminist literature.Alfred Kubin The Other Side (1909) adds the disturbing perspective of the subconscious.Author Ayn Rand is well-known for her libertarian novels. One of her earlier efforts, Anthem (1938), portrays a world where personality is discouraged to the point of death and where scientific achievement is seldom permitted. Among a cavalcade of pessimistic visions, Aldous Huxley’s Island (1962) stands out as a utopian counterpart to his most famous work, Brave New World (1932) in which humanity continues through cloning, and individualism and free expression are rigorously controlled by the central authority. Together with George Orwell’s 1984 (1949), who portrays a world population that have become victims of perpetual war, omnipresent government surveillance and propaganda, it is doubtlessly the most famous masterpiece of dystopian fiction.

Contemporary development of the genre

Today, 500 years after Thomas More, the social and literary discourse has shifted. Utopian fantasies of the future focus on subjects as artificial intelligence as in Frank Schätzing’s The Swarm (2004), an apocalyptic novel where humanity is threatened by another intelligent lifeform on Earth. The deterioration of the environment is also a big theme voiced by John Brunner in The Sheep Look Up (1972), or by Sarah Crossan in Breathe (2012). Mike Davis’ City of Quartz (1990), a (leftist) analysis of the societal designs and political forces that have shaped Los Angeles through the 20th century, is an excellent example of a novel that puts socio-political ideas and experiments at its center. On the other hand , there are outcasts who create parallel societies in an adverse, violent world. Newton Thornburg’s Valhalla (1980) has many apocalyptic traits, as the protagonist tries to survive race war in a future, collapsed America. Same as in The War Against Chaos (1988), by Anita Mason, where anarchical communes try to survive on the fringes of a manipulative society. On the thin line between dystopia and post-apocalyptic thriller you will find Arena 1 (2012), a highly popular sequel by best-selling Morgan Rice as well as Bethany Wiggins’ trilogy Stung (2014).

We have known how totalitarian states suppress feelings at latest since 1984. The sense of living in an engineered and heartless world is the main theme of Never let me go (2005), in which Nobel laureate Kazuo Ishiguro designs a society where human clones are created to donate their organs. Quite in the same line go Lauren Oliver’s Delirium (2011), whose main protagonist falls in love in a society where love is seen as a disease, and Scott Westerfeld with Stupid Perfect World (2012), a future-set novel set in a “perfect” world. When some teenagers have to experience old hardships such as as sleeping at night, as part of a school assignment they get to know an entire range of new emotions and start to wonder whether the old days were really as bad as they are being told.

Idealism has become a marginal phenomenon in the light of the technological achievements of Silicon Valley at the turn to the 21st century. We are constantly talking about scarcity of resources, financial speculation and environmental issues. One catastrophic report comes on top of another. Human nature, social reality and world history are and will remain complex and complicated. It is thus a desideratum of utopian literature to just as in prior times dare to think of literary alternatives and evoke a better future because, as Oscar Wilde sums it up, “progress is the realization of Utopias“ (The Soul of Man under Socialism, 1891).

]]>The beauty and torments of adolescence – read along to better understand your own past, your children and today’s society as a whole

Since the classic Bildungsroman of the times of Goethe up to our days, writers – and readers – have turned with much interest towards the fragile, mostly awkward and notwithstanding sublime transition from adolescence to adulthood. In so-called coming-of-age stories heroes are typically teenagers trying to figure out their place in the world. They endure painful conflicts that force them to outgrow themselves and move on to adulthood with new confidence and living his or her essence; often in defiance of their parents or other authorities. Complicated family backgrounds, close friendships, not to fit into the society we live in and often also sexual initiation stand as the main experience of the young protagonists. Fresh in style and often funny, coming-of-age stories appeal to young adult and adult readers alike, and not solely to those adults who don’t seem to ever grow up. We have chosen 10 contemporary novels that out of many different perspectives ask complex questions and don’t whitewash the experience of growing up while at the same time being very enjoyable to read. We hope you like them!

Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, Jeanette Winterson

This startling novel describes the adolescence of a ferociously bright and rebellious orphan adopted into a Pentecostal household in the dour, industrial Midlands and her coming to terms with her unorthodox sexuality. Funny, clever and poetic.

Khaled Hosseini’s best-selling debut-novel tells the heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant, caught in the tragic sweep of Afghanistan history.

Given the chance, fifteen-year-old Perry would dedicate every waking moment to Creatures & Caverns, a role-playing game with magical creatures, spell casting, and deadly weapons. Until his parents, concerned about his social skills, ship him off to summer camp.

A lonely obese boy everyone calls “Butter” is about to make history. He is going to eat himself to death-live on the Internet-and everyone is invited to watch. Instead of the pity he expect, his bullying classmates start cheerleading him. Should he go through with his plans?

A cult since it was first published in the 50s “Absolute Beginners” was the first novel to capture London’s emerging youth culture. It is impossible not to fall in love with the nameless main character, who, accompanied by a cast of friends as ethereal and unattainable as him, experiences love, betrayal, racial tensions and jazz music.

Adrian is a self-centered, irreverent and pretentious British 13-year-old, who, like many before him, begins a diary on New Year’s Day. The first novel of a collection of seven is a hilarious reminder that we were all once this young and clueless, coupled with the relief that we came through.

The summer Michael Smolij turns seventeen, his father disappears. One by one other men also vanish from outside Detroit where their fathers before them had lived, raised families, and, in a more promising era, lived. Unable to leave the neighborhood their fathers abandoned, Michael and his friends stumble through their twenties until the restlessness of the fathers blooms in them, threatening to carry them away.

]]>https://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/10-magnificent-coming-of-age-novels/feed/0Greatest Travel Books – A Selection of 10https://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/greatest-travel-books-a-selection-of-10/
https://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/greatest-travel-books-a-selection-of-10/#respondThu, 24 May 2018 09:18:23 +0000https://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/?p=2128A literary journey that you can start from anywhere with the help of your reading device What country would you like to travel next to?…

]]>A literary journey that you can start from anywhere with the help of your reading device

What country would you like to travel next to? Even if it were just by reading, the following books will satisfy your wanderlust and take you on a journey to the most extraordinary places all around the world. Knowing that adventure is out there, a cozy armchair seems to be just the perfect place to shape your globe-trotting desires. We hope the following selection will inspire your future journeys off the beaten tracks. Enjoy reading!

Find these and many more travel adventures in our bookshelf Travel Books.

1. Rediscovering the true inner self in Italy, India and Bali

Newly divorced journalist Elizabeth Gilbert (interpreted by Julia Roberts in the homonymous movie) is struggling to carve out an authentic identity in New York. Desperate to reinvigorate her life and connect with the world around her, she embarks on a modern-day pilgrimage. With warmth and humour, Gilbert chronicles a journey from Italy to India and, finally, to Bali. Each country serves as a vivid backdrop for self-exploration as she comes to terms with the choices that have hithero defined her life, and begins to rediscover herself.

This superb collection of 12 short stories by Finnish author Tove Jansson brilliantly evokes the shifting scenes and restlessness of summer. Philosophical and profound, but with the deceptive lightness that is her hallmark, ‘Travelling Light’ is guaranteed to surprise and transport.

New York Times bestselling author Bill Bryson is clever, witty, highly entertaining and one of the UK’s best loved writers of non-fiction. In ‘Notes from a Small Island’ he affectionately dissects the foibles of Great Britain, which has produced zebra crossings, Shakespeare, Twiggie Winkie’s Farm, and places with names like Farleigh Wallop and Titsey.

In ‘A Tramp Abroad’ Mark Twain describes his own adventures in Germany, Switzerland, the French Alps, and finally northern Italy. Twain’s account of his year and a half spent traveling through Europe is best for a good conspiratorial laugh and has lost nothing of its charm since its first publication more than a hundred years ago. Despite a great deal of fictional embellishment it makes a remarkably lucid and informative travel journal.

In 1952 Alberto Granado, a young doctor, and his friend Ernesto Guevara, a 23-year-old medical student from a distinguished Buenos Aires family, decided to explore their continent. The duo’s adventures, on which the movie ‘The Motorcycle Diaries‘ is based, vary from the suspenseful (stowing away on a cargo ship, exploring Incan ruins) to the hilarious (falling in love, drinking, fighting…) to the serious. Anyone interested in true, amusing, life-changing travel stories should enjoy this, regardless of background knowledge on Guevara, or opinion of him.

‘The Beach‘ begins in Bangkok’s backpackers’ quarter, the Khao San Road. Richard, a newly arrived young Englishman, comes to hear of a lagoon hidden from the sea, with white sand and coral gardens, freshwater falls surrounded by jungle. There, it is rumored, a carefully selected international few have settled into a communal Eden. Richard sets off to an island hidden away in an archipelago forbidden to tourists. Yet over time, a series of disasters overtakes the travelers, beginning with an outbreak of food poisoning and culminating in deadly violence and finally in escape from the island.

Based on Lawrence Durrell’s own experience in the diplomatic corps, his sketches about diplomatic life in Communist Yugoslavia are brilliantly funny. The eccentric characters with their quintessentially British ways, as described by Antrobus, will make you laugh out loud as you follow their struggles of a life abroad in the service of the crown.

Three rich young Englishmen cross pre-World War II Europe in an unreliable car with a mixture of laugh-out-loud humor and perceptive commentary on art and architecture. Europe in the Looking Glass is Robert Byron’s travel classic, providing a mirror on events and nationhood both then and today.

9. A autobiographical glimpse into the political and social struggles of Iraq

‘The Prince of the Marshes‘ tells the story of Rory Stewart’s year in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein. In August 2003, at the age of thirty, Rory Stewart found himself the de-facto governor of a restive populace whose allegiances were split among fifty-four political parties, twenty major tribes, and numerous militias in the remote marsh regions of Southern Iraq. As a participant, he takes us inside the occupation, introducing us to a colorful cast of Iraqis and revealing the complexity and fragility of a society we struggle to understand.

Dos Passos was an intrepid globe-trotter which inspired manifold travel writings. The story of his remarkable 1921-22 journey to Russia and the Middle East focuses on sights, sounds, and smells rather than plot or character. Dos Passos applies his instincts as a painter to mountain ranges and grimy alleyways, finding beauty everywhere. His tour extends from Tiflis, Georgia, to Erivan, Armenia, and Marrakesh, Morocco; from Kasvin, Iran, to Baghdad, Iraq, and Damascus, Syria. He crosses the Syrian Desert, observes the aftermath of the Greek-Turkish War, climbs the Caucasus, explores Persia during the rise of Reza Kahn, and records the creation of Iraq by the British.

]]>https://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/greatest-travel-books-a-selection-of-10/feed/0Welcome to your new Digital Bookstorehttps://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/welcome-to-your-new-digital-bookstore/
https://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/welcome-to-your-new-digital-bookstore/#respondMon, 23 Apr 2018 09:47:53 +0000https://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/?p=2169Discover the 24symbols reading experience and the offer we have prepared for you on the Book Day: I WANT TO READ WITHOUT LIMITS! Welcome to…

Welcome to the experience of carrying all the books of the world with you, effortless and in the palm of your hand.

Welcome to the favourite corner of strong readers, those of us who think that digital enriches the possibilities of reading; because we like to write notes and comments on books in the cloud, to connect with other similar readers and exchange book recommendations, far from commercial and elitist interests.

You will enter a bookstore with infinite shelves, available at all times. Here you will read more and better, for much less, because the experience of reading in this way goes much further. Here you won’t need to buy every book you’d like to read. You can turn from one book to the other an infinite number of times: open, browse, snoop and read everything you wish. Any book will be available at that same moment when an article, a friend or a memory motivate you to read it. It is a permanent subscription to emotions and knowledge, balance and critical thought, to the pleasure that only reading provides. In many ways, all the ingredients that are needed to build a better life are there.

Celebrate this #bookday in a different way and be an active part of the fascinating evolution that reading is experiencing. In addition to the monthly subscription we have now prepared a yearly subscription for an absurdly low price (we are offering you almost 4 months for free!). Only during this week and without minimum term.

]]>https://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/welcome-to-your-new-digital-bookstore/feed/0Great Literature with female signaturehttps://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/great-literature-female-writers/
https://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/great-literature-female-writers/#respondThu, 08 Mar 2018 08:00:18 +0000https://www.24symbols.com/24stories/en/?p=2115Female writers that are worth reading in a literary panorama dominated by men. We’re dedicating this selection to a few very special women who deserve…

]]>Female writers that are worth reading in a literary panorama dominated by men.

We’re dedicating this selection to a few very special women who deserve to be pointed out in a literary panorama that is unjustly dominated by men. Courageous writers who tackle complicated themes, who are not easily categorized and for whom we predict a great future, or whose talent should have been recognized in their lifetime. We owe them a literary heritage that will go on living forever. Find out which female writers we’re talking about and read their books on 24symbols:

Willa Cather

Willa Cather (1873-1947) was born in Virginia and raised on the Nebraska prairie. She worked as a newspaper writer, teacher, and managing editor of McClure’s magazine and was in a relationship with another editor, Edith Lewis. Her book Song of the Lark tells the story of Thea, a young woman that wants to escape from the narrow-mindedness of her rural Midwestern hometown and goes to Chicago to become a successful singer. With Thea’s triumph, Cather is surely celebrating her own accomplishments. Many say that if Cather had lived in other times, her work would have reflected her sexuality and her commitment for gender equality to a much greater extent.

Terese Marie Mailhot

One of the great new voices of this generation, Terese Marie Mailhot is making noise with her impressive debut novel Heart Berries. A memoir that uses imagination to fill the gaps when it becomes too painful to remember, Heart Berries is the account of a young indigenous woman coming to terms with her past. Mailhot has a raw style that needs no polishing but astounds the reader with its brutal honesty. Already a promising talent, we’re looking forward to seeing more of Mailhot’s work:

Laurie Penny

Laurie Penny is a young British writer, journalist and feminist. She studied English Literature at Oxford University and was the youngest person to be shortlisted for the Orwell Prize on political writing for her blog ‘Penny Red’. Penny needs to be mentioned when talking about female writers as she defines a new feminism that takes no prisoners, a feminism that is about justice and equality, but especially about freedom for all. Unspeakable Things is a dissection of modern feminism and class politics. Her latest book Bitch Doctrin will be released on 24symbols in July.

Joan Didion

The Netflix series “The Center Will not Hold” has reawakened interest in this iconic writer but nothing comes as close to understanding Joan Didion’s work as reading it. Born in 1934, she began her career working for Vogue, starting as a promotional copywriter and becoming an associate feature editor after a few years. Always keeping the heart of a journalist she started writing novels, essays and memoirs. Probably best known for her journalistic pieces, such as the New York Times Bestseller The White Album, a collection of essays about the absurdity of the era of the 1960s, Didion always managed to capture the moment and present it to a wider audience. Even though half a century has passed, her work is as relevant now as it was then.

Patricia Engel

Patricia Engel is a young Columbian-American writer who first caught attention with her critically acclaimed collection of short stories Vida. Her latest novel, The Veins of the Ocean, also started out as a short story but has turned into a multiple layered narrative whose protagonist Reina is torn between a new romance and a feeling of responsibility and loyalty to her family, as she feels guilty for her brother’s imprisonment. The novel elegantly interweaves past and present and shows that Engel is developing into a skillful author whom we’ll certainly watch out for.